Contacts for dry eyes

[magalvin]

Hi all!

Just wondering what contacts people have been able to wear with dry eyes. I have read the 1 day contacts are the best...and that trueye was good. Has anyone used TruEye or the 1 day moist contacts?

Any suggestions will help!!! Please please respond!

[Lacrima]

Hi there,

I have read that the higher water content lenses such as acuvue moist, are actually not good for dry eye. This is because they dry out faster, then absorb your own tears. They are preferred because they feel more comfortable, but this does not mean they are actually better for your eyes.

Silicone hydrogel lenses (such as Tru Eye) and RGP hard lenses have lower water content and allow more oxygen to pass through. Also, hard lenses allow a lot more moisture to pass behind the lens when you blink.

At present I can't wear contacts because of my dry eye, but my opthalmologist (who specialises in dry eye) told me that if I'm ever able to wear them again, they should be hard lenses.

I wore acuvue moist for years - they felt great going in, but hours later felt quite sticky. I would say when you're trying out different contacts, be aware of this kind of discomfort- it's a sign that the lens is not right for you.

[mgshutterbug]

Anyone know of bandage lenses to be worn 24/7? I had one inserted last Thursday, and told that I was to wear it for 7 weeks minimum because of corneal erosions and abrasions. Am having horrible problem with lens drying out despite very frequent use of artificial tears. Am also using Muro 128 4x/d, Restasis (groan) 4x/d, and tons of artificial tears w/o preservatives. Mornings are no better with the bandage lens than before it was inserted. Every morning my eye is bone dry and it feels like I've got a new erosion/abrasion. As I use large quantity of drops to rehydrate, eventually vision improves (but that may just be normal process of healing from abrasions). I am uncertain that this is doing my eye any good, and may possibly be creating additional problems.

[Rebecca Petris]

Maria it's common to place a bandage lens to be worn (I mean the same lens continuously) for several days at a time without removing it, when there's been severe surface damage from an erosion or after a surgery to protect during re-epithelializing. Usually when I hear from people with lenses it's not more than a week or two. If I were you I'd be calling the dr ASAP because it sure doesn't sound great.

[mgshutterbug]

Thanks Rebecca, I'd never heard of wearing bandage lenses that long, and all it's doing is causing me more pain and blurred vision. And I was told I couldn't use Muro 128 ointment with it because it would goop the lens up. But without the ointment, all that's going to happen is more erosions. I did return to her the day after she put it in because of burning, increased blurriness. She examined my eye, and said it looked just like it was supposed to. And my next appt with her was not to be for 2 weeks. I will definitely call her tomorrow, or ask to talk to her supervisor. I sure as heck don't want to be creating an even greater problem, and that's exactly what it feels like is happening. Thanks for the quick reply, I appreciate that.

Maria

[mgshutterbug]

Wearing onyx with bipap full face mask

Just wanted to add a note Rebecca - I didn't think I could wear the onyx under the mask because the mask overlaps the nosepiece and both lenses. But I tried it last nite and it sealed pretty well despite the overlapping. However, that made the goggles tighter than I would have liked, and put alot of pressure on the nose piece on the onyx. I tolerated it for a whole hour and a half - all the sleep I was able to get last nite with so much going on. I'll see if I can tolerate it longer when I sleep hopefully more hrs tonite.

[siddiqif]

Hi mgshutterbug,

Wanted to share my experience here. Due to a severe corneal ulcer and fluid leakage, my doctor had to put a bandage lens in my eye. I've had it in for 3 weeks now and its doing ok. I checked with him and he said its normal to have these lens in for months at a time, although they recommend that the lens itself be changed every 3 months if it is required for long term wear. I've been lubricating with preservative free eyedrops and sometimes it takes a while for my eye to feel better and hydrated.

Since I have a slightly different issue than yours, I can't really speak of vision problems (I'm not able to see out of this eye because vision is extremely cloudy). Also I'm using different medication than yours and live in a different part of the world. Still, any eye problem is worth checking with your doctor and maybe a second opinion?